1 Cup Coconut Milk in Grams
1 cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g (poured, USDA). Rich liquid pressed from grated coconut flesh; shake canned coconut milk before using. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Coconut milk is a rich liquid pressed from grated coconut flesh, and a cup of it weighs 240 g, poured. It is the liquid of curries, soups, smoothies and dairy-free baking across Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, where its richness and its subtle coconut flavour are the foundation of the dish. Canned coconut milk separates in the tin, with a thick cream on top and a thin liquid underneath, so it must be shaken before it is measured, or the first pour will be thin and the last pour will be thick. Light coconut milk is the same liquid with more water, and it weighs slightly less per cup, though the difference is small.
Cups lie: why coconut milk should be weighed
Liquids are the most forgiving ingredients to measure in cups, because a cup of water weighs 237 g and most water-based liquids are within a few grams of that. But they are not all the same: a cup of orange juice weighs 248 g, a cup of coconut milk 240 g, and a cup of soy sauce 255 g, so the differences add up in large batches. Liquids also change with temperature, because warm liquids expand slightly, and with dissolved solids, because sugar, salt and pulp all add weight. In baking, liquid is half of the hydration ratio, and getting it right is what makes dough workable and batters pourable. Weighing liquids is the fastest way to measure them: put the bowl on the scale, tare it, and pour to the number, with no jug to wash and no meniscus to read.
Worked examples
A Thai curry for four
A Thai curry that calls for 1 cup of coconut milk needs 240 g, and the milk should be shaken well before the tin is opened. The cream on top is what fries the curry paste and carries its flavour, while the thinner liquid underneath makes the sauce, so using the tin without shaking it gives a curry that is either too rich or too thin. Weigh 240 g, add it to the pan, and simmer the curry gently rather than boiling it hard, which can make the coconut milk split.
A coconut soup
A soup that uses 2 cups of coconut milk needs 480 g, stirred into a broth of stock, lemongrass and ginger. The coconut milk gives the soup its richness and its silky texture, and it should be added near the end of cooking and heated through gently, because a hard boil can make it separate into oil and liquid. Taste the soup after the coconut milk is in, because it softens the heat of the chillies and you may need to add a little more lime or fish sauce to balance it.
A dairy-free smoothie
A smoothie that calls for 1/2 cup of coconut milk needs 120 g, blended with banana, mango and a handful of spinach. The coconut milk gives the smoothie a creamy texture without any dairy, and its flavour suits tropical fruit. Shake the tin before measuring, because the cream and the liquid separate, and a smoothie made with only the thin liquid will be watery while one made with only the cream will be too rich.
Coconut Milk cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 60 g | 4 |
| 1/3 cup | 80 g | 5.3 |
| 1/2 cup | 120 g | 8 |
| 2/3 cup | 160 g | 10.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 180 g | 12 |
| 1 cup | 240 g | 16 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 g | 24 |
| 2 cups | 480 g | 32 |
| 3 cups | 720 g | 48 |
| 4 cups | 960 g | 64 |
One tablespoon of coconut milk weighs about 15 g, and a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the tablespoon column is simply the cup weight divided by 16. For small amounts, a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. All the values in this table are approximate, and they assume the ingredient is measured poured, exactly as the source measured it.
How the weight was measured
poured means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag or jar, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. The difference between a spooned cup and a scooped cup can be 15 to 25 percent, which is enough to change a bake from tender to tough, so the method matters as much as the number. The source for the figure on this page is USDA, and the confidence in the value is medium. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows that chart rather than any single cookbook. Where the chart gives a range or a note, we say so plainly instead of hiding the uncertainty. All the figures here are approximate conversions: natural ingredients vary by brand, variety, moisture and how finely they are chopped or ground, so when a recipe really matters, verify the weight with a kitchen scale.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in baking and in large-batch cooking, where liquid is a large share of the recipe and small errors scale up. In bread, a 20 g error in water changes the hydration by several percentage points, which is the difference between a dough that holds its shape and one that spreads. It matters less in a single drink or a dressing, where taste is the guide and you can adjust. It matters again when a recipe is written in grams and you are converting it to cups: knowing that a cup of the liquid is not always 237 g stops you from adding too much of a denser liquid. And it matters for scaling: doubling a liquid by weight is exact, while doubling by volume doubles the reading error.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is reading the jug from above while holding it in the air, which distorts the level by a tablespoon or more. Always set the jug on a flat surface and crouch to eye level. The second is measuring a hot liquid in a plastic jug, which can flex and throw the level off, and measuring a cold liquid straight from the fridge in a recipe that expects room temperature. The third is forgetting to stir liquids that separate, such as coconut milk, stock with sediment, or juice with pulp, so the first pour is thin and the last pour is thick. And the fourth is measuring sticky or pulpy liquids in a dry cup, where a film clings to the sides and never makes it into the bowl.
What to do if you do not have a scale
If you do not have a scale, use a liquid measuring jug with clear markings, set it on a flat counter, and read the level at eye level using the bottom of the meniscus. Pour slowly as you approach the line, because it is easy to overshoot and hard to pour back cleanly. For small amounts, use measuring spoons rather than guessing a fraction of a cup. Liquids are the one category where cups work reasonably well, because density varies little, but weighing is still faster and cleaner, and it lets you measure straight into the mixing bowl.
Storing coconut milk
Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 days. Keeping coconut milk properly stored matters for the conversion as well as for the flavour: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, and one that has dried out weighs less. Store it in an airtight container, away from heat and light, and measure it in the state the recipe expects, not straight from a damp or stale bag.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream?
Coconut cream is the thick, rich layer that rises to the top of a tin of coconut milk, while coconut milk is the whole liquid, cream and thin milk mixed together. Coconut cream is much higher in fat and much thicker, and a cup of it weighs more than a cup of coconut milk. For most recipes, shake the tin and use the mixed milk, which is what the 240 g figure describes. If a recipe calls for coconut cream specifically, scoop the thick layer off the top of an unshaken tin.
Why do I need to shake a tin of coconut milk?
Canned coconut milk separates as it sits, with a thick cream rising to the top and a thin, watery liquid underneath. If you open the tin without shaking it, the first pour will be thin and the last pour will be thick, and the recipe will not get the amount of fat and flavour it expects. Shake the tin vigorously for a few seconds before opening it, and the milk will be uniform. If the tin has been in a cold cupboard, warm it briefly in hot water first, because the cream solidifies when it is cold.
Can I use cups instead of a scale for coconut milk?
Yes, but a scale is more accurate. If you measure coconut milk poured, exactly as the figure on this page was measured, a cup will be close to 240 g, within a few grams. The problem is that most people scoop rather than spoon, which can add 15 to 25 percent to the weight, and that error is enough to change a bake. For everyday cooking, cups are fine. For baking, where the ratio of ingredients decides the result, weigh it and check the number on the scale.
How many tablespoons are in a cup of coconut milk?
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, so a cup of coconut milk is 16 tablespoons, and one tablespoon weighs about 15 g. A teaspoon weighs about 5 g. Tablespoons are useful when a recipe calls for a small amount, but they carry the same packing problem as cups: a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one, so level every spoon with the back of a knife, and use a scale for small amounts when accuracy matters.
Does the weight change if I pack or sift coconut milk?
Packing does not apply to coconut milk, because it is poured rather than spooned. The weight is consistent as long as the liquid is measured at eye level in a jug and the ingredient is stirred first if it separates. Temperature makes a small difference, because warm liquids expand slightly, but for ordinary kitchen use the poured weight is stable, and a cup of coconut milk weighs about 240 g whether it is cool or at room temperature.